March 2004:
The man who would later be known as Sole, one of the founders of the avant-garde indie rap label/collective Anticon, was born in 1977 in Portland, ME, as Tim Holland. By 1992, he had made his first demo, attracting interest from EMI, whose deal Sole declined when he was told he could have Jermaine Dupri as his producer, and not DJ Premier. In 1996, with his group Live Poets, Sole released What's It All About, which brought him into contact with likeminded rappers (and future Anticon members) Doseone and Jel. In 1998 Sole formed Anticon with longtime friend Pedestrian in response to what they saw as a close-minded and stagnant mainstream rap scene, and the duo moved out to the Bay Area to officially start their label.